Entry Submission

Entry Submission

At a glance

Question	Answer
What is this?	A lock on the whole entry (project), not just on single participant
When does it exist?	Only if "Enable Entry Submission" is on for the event
Who can submit?	Participants, teachers, and staff
Who can un-submit?	Staff only
Same as Entry Status?	No. Approved / Dropped is a different setting
Does it email anyone?	No. Submit and un-submit only change the lock flag

What this is

Entry submission is an optional event setting. When it is on, finishing an entry is a two-step process: people can save and continue while they work, then they explicitly submit when the entry is ready. Submit marks the project as submitted and locks it for participants and teachers.

The lock is for the project, so a team has one submitted state. If one member submits, the whole entry is submitted.

When the setting is off, there is no Submit tab and no lock. The entry is only saved and can be edited unless a freeze in activated.

What this is not

• Not Entry Status (Approved, Dropped, Do Not Advance). Staff can still set that separately if the event uses it.

• Not a paperwork form being filled, signed, or marked complete. A form can be “submitted” in paperwork without the entry being submitted. However, "Submit" will lock paperwork

• Not automatic judging assignment. A round can optionally include "only submitted entries"; that checkbox is off by default.

• Not a notification. Nothing is emailed on submit or un-submit.

Turning it on

In All Settings, turn ON "Enable Entry Submission". You can also set an Entry submit deadline on the fair. After the deadline, only staff can still submit, and only with Force submit.

When the setting is on, existing (already created) projects get a Submit tab on the entry form. Brand-new projects, or participants in the middle of first-time registration, get the tab after the registration is completed.

Required fields become soft while people are editing: meaning "Save and Continue" will not block participants from continuing through all tabs even with required fields. Submit is the hard gate that will require them to fill in those fields.

How a participant submits

1. Open the entry form and finish the information the event needs. Saving along the way is allowed even if some required fields are still empty.
2. When ready, open the Submit tab. It shows whether the entry is submitted yet, and the deadline if one is set.
3. Click Submit entry.
4. If required entry-form fields are still empty, submit is refused and lists the missing labels.
5. If the deadline has passed, submission is refused (staff can still force-submit).
6. On success, the project is marked submitted with the time (UTC) and who clicked Submit. The entry is then locked for participants and teachers.

Already submitted? Submitting again is harmless. The system reports success and leaves the original submit time in place.

Staff: Force submit

Staff also see Force submit. That skips the required-field check and the deadline. Use it when an entry must be marked submitted even if it is incomplete, or after the deadline has passed.

What happens after submit

• Participants and teachers cannot save further changes. The form says the entry is submitted and locked, and to contact staff if changes are needed.
• Staff can still edit without un-submitting.
• People, the entry dashboard, registration complete, and the user’s project list show a Submitted / Not submitted badge when the feature is on.
• The People page can filter Submitted vs Not submitted.
• Judging rounds can optionally include only submitted entries.

Can it be unsubmitted?

Yes — staff only. Participants and teachers cannot un-submit themselves. If they need to change a locked entry, staff must un-submit it (or staff can edit it while it stays submitted).

How staff un-submit

1. Open the entry and go to the Submit tab.
2. Click **Un-submit**.
3. Confirm: *“Un-submit this entry? Participants will be able to edit again.”

Un-submit clears the submitted flag, the timestamp, and who submitted. After that, participants and teachers can edit and submit again. The deadline still applies on the next submit. Entry Status is not changed. No email is sent.

Who can do what

Action	Participant	Teacher	Staff
Save while not submitted	Yes	Yes	Yes
Submit entry	Yes	Yes	Yes
Force submit (skip checks / deadline)	No	No	Yes
Edit after submit	No	No	Yes
Unsubmit	No	No	Yes

Judging

A judging round can use Submitted only entries. That filter is off by default, so existing judging flows do not change when you turn on entry submission. When the filter is on, only submitted entries appear in that round.

Do not mix these up

This	Is not the same as
Entry submission (this feature)	Entry Status: Approved, Dropped, Do Not Advance
The project’s Submitted lock	A paperwork form’s own submitted / complete state
Submit tab on the entry form	Finishing first-time registration or paying an invoice

Paperwork caveat

The Submit tab text overstates what submit checks.

The on-screen help says submitting enforces required fields and paperwork. Today, submit only checks required entry-form fields (title, category, and other required questions on the entry tabs). It does not verify that paperwork packets are complete or signed.

If your event needs paperwork done before lock, staff should confirm that before treating the entry as finished — especially before Force submit.

Where people will see it

• Entry form — Submit tab, plus a short status line on the project info tab
• People page — Submitted / Not submitted badge and filter
• Entry dashboard — submitted icon in the status column
• Registration complete — “Submitted” or “Not submitted — finish required fields, then use the Submit tab”
• User’s project list — same badge when the setting is on

Questions about a live event: un-submit is always staff, and it only clears the lock. It does not roll back paperwork, payments, or judging scores.